Close Trollstigen

It is quite astonishing that in a country as beautiful as Norway, with so many famous mountain roads, for a day once a year, not one is closed to motorised vehicles.

Italy, Switzerland and France all have car-free days. The Stelvio bike day in Italy is a fantastic example, where hundreds of cyclists attend a celebration of beautiful scenery on safe roads crossing the legendary mountain pass.

The Stelvio Bike Day in Italy

In the spring of 2022, I approached the Norwegian Scenic Routes, which promotes and manages many of Norway’s famous mountain pass roads, about the idea. I suggested the iconic Trollstigen because of its status and appeal. With the proper marketing, the day could attract hundreds of cyclists and be a fantastic promotion for active tourism in the country. Sadly, nothing came of my proposal. I inquired once more in the spring of 2023, but the response lacked commitment. I was on my own.

I learnt a long time ago that Ideas are worthless. Everyone has them. You have to have something tangible to get your message across. Turn an idea into reality. Don’t worry about it being perfect; just focus on putting something out there and let the universe decide.

Therefore, I planned Cycle Norway’s inaugural event at Trollstigen on World Car Free Day in late September, hoping like-minded others would join me to celebrate cycling in this incredible place. The road would be open to traffic, but together with other cyclists, we’d show Norway what could be possible in the future.

I believed it would be a successful day if I could persuade 15-20 people to join me. Trollstigen is located in a remote, sparsely populated area of the country and over 6 hours travel from Oslo. Understandably, It’s a long way to go for one day and even longer if the weather is unsettled.

Norway’s mountain weather is unpredictable all year round. Some people said the event was too late in the season and should be moved to August. Concerns of cold weather, snow and even the slight possibility that the road would be closed are all legitimate issues on my mind. Nevertheless, having cycled in Norway for many years, September has become my favourite month. The unique light, autumn colours and reduced off-season traffic create an atmosphere ripe for cycling. In addition, whether we like it or not, September is becoming warmer, which has become noticeable in the mountains. I placed my bet that the day would be good to ride. I believe in fate. Fortune favours the bold.

So what makes Trollstigen so unique? The serpentine road is part of an 830m mountain pass connecting the towns of Åndalsnes in Rauma and Valldal in Norddal Municipality. Before the road was built in the 1930s, a foot trail dating back to the Middle Ages was the only way towns could trade livestock (boats of the time couldn’t transport animals). In bad weather, it was not uncommon for people and livestock not to make it over the pass alive. In the later half of the 19th century, a road was proposed, but financial restraints left the design on the drawing board.

When the road was finally built and completed in 1936 after eight years of construction, it was hailed as an engineering masterpiece. Much of the design was borrowed from the original 19th-century blueprint. Over 150 years on, that original design is still marvelled at by over 1 million tourists that visit each year. The road, specifically the valley that Trolstigen sits in, is unique. I see it as a cauldron of rock that creates an intimating dead-end. You must visit to understand how 11 sharp hairpin corners climb up a vertical rock wall. From certain angles, it doesn’t even look possible.

Stigfossen Bridge 1930

Once you reach the top, there is another 2.5km to the official summit, which gives a spectacular view of the colossal mountains such as Bispen (The Bishop) (1,462 m), Kongen (The King) (1,614 m), and Dronninga (The Queen) (1,544 m). These mountains make you feel insignificant in the best possible way.

The descent down to the town of Valldal is over 35km and follows a beautiful river as it meanders through the valley. From Valldal, you reach a fjord crossing with limited roads to choose from. At this point, I planned the ride to turn around and head back towards Trollstigen, where we would stop for coffee along the way. Finally, we would descend down Trollstigen and arrive back where we started 90km later. It sounded like a great day on the bike to me!

The morning of the ride, I arrived at the foot of Trollstigen early to coordinate with the cameraman filming the day. The weather was dry and calm, with average temperatures of around 12-14oC. Fortune favours the bold. On paper, I had an impressive 45 riders signed up, but would any turn-up? The start time was at 08:30, and with 20 minutes to go, only a handful had arrived. Was it going to be a poor turnout? Thankfully not. There was relief and joy to watch rider after rider turn up. Transforming from a small gathering to a large group ready to climb one of the world’s greatest roads.

We decided the night before to have three groups (slow, medium, fast). The slowest group went off first at 08:30. Fifteen minutes later, the medium-pace group left, and finally, at 09:00, the fast ones. The theory was we would all meet at the top at similar times, allowing for a group photo before we separated again and descended to Valldal.

The climb up Trollstigen is everything you would hope to expect and even more. The views constantly change as you go around each of the 11 switchbacks. Stunning waterfalls, barren rock walls, a valley to dream of, and vertical drops keep your adrenaline running to the top. By the time you reach the lookout point, you’re both exhausted and filled with energy from the 8km climbing up 700 meters with an average gradient of 7.5%.

The three groups’ start times worked well, and there was little waiting around for everyone to reach the visitor centre. After a few photos on the lookout platform, the groups started the final climb to the official summit and then the long descent down to Valldal. Few people realise that the last 2.5km climb is just as rewarding as the famous switchbacks. The mountain pass opens up with views only Norway can offer.

This was my 3rd time cycling Trollstigen, but my first in September, and the golden autumn colour did not disappoint. When we climbed back up to Trollstigen, a beautiful rainbow appeared, going straight across the road. It was the icing on the cake to a magnificent day. Thankfully, we had no accidents among the group, and I believe everyone was blown away by the beauty and awe-inspiring landscape they had cycled. This road would have been filled with cars and campervans in the summer, but it was reasonably quiet today. I think I counted only four cars passing me up Trollstigen.

We met at Eggen Restaurant 700m above Åndalsnes in the evening. I gave out some cycling prizes, and we celebrated the day with a 3-course meal and a few drinks. Cycle Norway’s inaugural event had been a great success, and I look forward to planning next year’s ride with perhaps an extra day to discover more.